asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware that an officer of the Revenue Commissioners interviewed a citizen (name supplied) last January concerning the alleged furnishing of false returns relating to income tax by a certain business concern; that the official concerned conveyed his name to the person who reported this matter and failed to record this official complaint; and that further investigation has revealed that no such person by the name given was an officer of his Department; and whether all these matters, including the alleged evasion, have been investigated, and with what result.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Income Tax Returns of Business Concern.
16.
Last January, an officer of the Revenue Commissioners interviewed the person, with whose name the Deputy has supplied me, about the income tax matter referred to. The information provided at the interview was duly recorded for investigation.
The Deputy will recall that, when he wrote to the Revenue Commissioners in June, there was difficulty in locating the case. This difficulty was due in the main to the fact that the person who was interviewed was apparently under a wrong impression as to the name of the officer who saw him. He called, however, at the Revenue Commissioners' Head Office at Dublin Castle around the time that the Deputy put down his Question and following discussion the correct name of the officer was discovered.
The Deputy will appreciate that the Revenue Commissioners, owing to their obligation as to secrecy, are precluded from disclosing, in relation to a particular taxpayer, the result of any investigations into his tax affairs.